DIY Bedside Lamp

Ever since I had my own room, I fancied having a bedside lamp which I could use for reading and then switch off just before dozing off; no need to shoot the light! (brilliant idea by Mr. Bean!). After the wedding when I was redoing Puneeth’s bachelor room into something more pretty, for the lack of a better word, I was absolutely sure of fulfilling my old childhood wish. Now that was a time when all of our money had already gone into the wedding and redecorating (actually decorating, there was no “decoration” before :P) the room was on a shoe string budget. The bedside table was an old kitchen shelf with a new coat of paint, the shoe cabinet (for my enormous collection of footwear) was commissioned to the local carpenter and left without lamination to reduce the cost and for the distressed look (unintentional but a pleasing result :P), the laundry basket was a Fabindia knock off with a regular basket etc etc (you get the drift right). So I decided to go the DIY way for the table lamp too. Out of all the useless recycled gifts we got in the wedding (no offence to anyone who actually gave one of them :P), there was a bamboo vase (thank you Vishal) which I converted into the base for the lamp. Now both Puneeth and I are not too keen on flowers (real or artificial) and so as a result vases too and we would never have used it as a vase ever anyway. And while we are on the topic, I feel bouquets are a real waste of money, I don't know what to do with them and they are so impersonal, more impersonal than giving cash I feel (ya I am shamelessly hinting that next time give me cash rather than bouquets :D). Anyway, I procured a lampshade from Fabindia (c’mon I had to indulge my Fabindia craving somehow) and put them together for my own nifty lampshade (yappadi J)

Steps:

1. Scour for a base for the lampshade (vases, wine bottles, old lamps etc).
2. Buy or make the lampshade (they come quite cheap, around 250 onwards).
3. Buy bulb holder, a plug and some wire.
4. Make a hole in your base of the lamp for the wire to pass through.
5. You might have to do some jugaad to keep the bulb holder in place if the mouth of the vase is wider. You can use an old cd/dvd as it already has a hole in the middle or you can make a hole in a discarded plastic lid by using a candle to melt the plastic. There are many options, see what works for you best. I used the lid of an old ashtray for the same. 
6. It’s pretty easy once you have figured out how to keep the bulb holder in place, just attach your wire to the holder and the plug.
7. Plug your lampshade in and enjoy a nice book J

This is what I feel like doing when I am all cozily tucked in bed only to realize the light has been left on :D

Eye Candy - Fairytale esque pink dresser

Where - Girls washroom in Brewsky brewery, Bangalore

DIY - Funk the Junk

We don’t have to be art connoisseurs or spend a bomb to decorate our homes. All we need is an eye for aesthetics and even the oddest of things like a rock or an old bottle can be prettified innovatively. From driftwood photo frames to disposable plastic spoons lamp, the internet is filled with DIYs galore. Just take a cue from them and let your creative juices flow J

                I found these wooded petal like things fallen from a tree around December 2012 when I was waiting at a bus stop. I collected a few thinking I can arrange them in the shape of a flower and paint them or just fill up a cute basket with these to display somewhere. I never got the time to do any of that and they lied in a plastic bag forgotten till I found them again while I was cleaning up my wardrobe. That’s when it struck me that their shape is similar to that of a boat and thought of creating a small one with a mast. The cloth for the mast came from a cotton cloth which my Mom had used to pack a pickle jar when I came back from Vizag last. She keeps old cotton sarees, towels, curtain linings etc for such things and now I too have a small collection from the umpteen homemade pickle and ghee bottles I have carried back to Bangalore from home. They are soft and worn out and remind me of home. So whenever I see this little boat I am reminded of this and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling J (too seeped in nostalgia na…*sigh*). Anyway getting back on track (I digress a lot), the stick is from a broom, break it with your hand keeping a little part of the roughage in the end so that you can stick it with feviquick to the wooden petal. You can make a variety of them with double masts, little flags on the masts, masts with stitching detailing etc. 

                I saw this rock on the road side and my mind immediately went to an image I had seen in one of the décor blogs here. I painted the little fishies with acrylic paint and tada, cute paperweight is ready in a matter of few minutes. And psst…the plate is called a “donne”. A nearby temple serves prasadam in it and I brought it home :P (after devouring the prasadam of course).

               This Vat 69 bottle is courtesy Puneeth’s chuddy buddy gang. The moment I saw that matte finish bottle, I immediately thought of colorful chalks  J. I wasted no time and called dibs on the bottle as well as the case it came in (the case now holds my first aid kit, do I see someone cringing?? haha, at least I did not use it to keep bangles according to my original plan). The pinwheel is from the Avarekalu mela. Planning to put a money plant in the bottle. Or maybe convert it into a lamp, there are so many options J. So pick up that junk you were about to throw away and junk it up I say :D

Table for two revealed

Hi everyone,

So my hunt for the perfect dining table which is compact, foldable and cheap has ended and....drum roll please....this is what I picked up. Tadaaa!! I know it looks more like a cafe table but it exactly fits our dinner plates and two serving dishes and also exactly fits the space available and it is yellow!! Do I need more reasons now :P

Table is from Fabindia and the chairs are from Zansaar.
Check out this post for more options and links :)
And finally I am on Bloglovin. Facebook account will be my next action item :P. Till then follow my blog with Bloglovin

Décor Jabber – Holi Home Décor Ideas

Move over neutral homes or monochrome decor, with Holi around the corner, our homes need a colorful makeover to reflect the festive spirit. So it is time to splash some red, splish some green and dunk it in blue with a healthy dose of yellow, in fact  every color in the 1024x768 color spectrum, after all Holi hai!!

If you guys followed my earlier post on trunks, you would have seen that my living room is a riot of colors. I love color, I just can’t live in a neutral (read dull :P) room. I know neutral rooms can also be nice with the right use of textures and patterns, but I am more of a rainbow room kinda girl. I love the vibrancy and the energy that colors bring into a room and that keeps me cheerful. Here are my two cents on what to keep in mind while using color in home décor to bring out the desired effect:

1. If you are scared of going over the top with the use of color, the best way to infuse some color would be to use pops of color throughout a neutral room. A few colorful cushions on a seat, a bright lamp at a corner or a bunch of colorful glass bottles on a console table. You can make it more “seamless” by repeating the pop of colors throughout the house. Like if you have a statement chair in a bright color, use the same color lamp in a different part of the house and  use a vase of the same color in another area and create the seamless look.
2. White is a very good canvas for any color palette and ties everything beautifully. It makes the statement pieces stand out and best part is you can change the whole mood of the room just by changing a few pieces like the curtains, the floor rug and the cushions. Like you can make it summery with a dash of yellow and orange or make it cool and serene by using aqua and grey.  
3. Don’t shy away from using bold contrasting colors in a room, blue and orange or yellow and pink if used right can create a dynamic space. It is important to break this high contrast with one or two more colors used sparingly. For instance while using a yellow and pink palette, use orange to tie the two colors and add a dash of blue to break the high contrast.
4. Alternatively, if using all the colors on the rainbow is not your cup of tea, use different hues of the same color family. For example, use shades of blue from ink blue to ash blue for various elements for creating a colorful yet subtle look.
5. Use different textures and patterns of different colors for extra drama. A few printed cushions of different prints over a solid color couch or a printed rug over wooden flooring or a geometric print table runner over a floral table cloth, all juxtapose different textures and patterns in interesting ways.
6. Forget all of the above tips and just use all the colors in any way. A cheerful colorful home decorated lovingly will exude warmth and love and will always be beautiful!

Here are a few ideas for an easy Holi makeover without painting a wall or buying expensive colorful furniture, just a few small changes to add the burst of color:

Use colorful knick knacks around the home

1. Display your cherished memories in colorful photo frames (fabfurnish)
2. Colorful clocks to keep track of the festivities! (fabfurnish)
3. Holi means lot of water balloons and colors, keep tissues handy in this cute tissue holder (fabfurnish)
4. Throw in a colorful lamp in the mixture (fabfurnish)
5. Add some color on your vanity display to hold your accessories (fabfurnish)
6. Give your balcony or the garden a bit of color (fabfurnish)
7. Impress your guests with these colorful hand towels placed at the entrance or on a side table (unless they like gulal coated gujjias!) (fabfurnish)
8. Don’t reserve colorful lights for Diwali only, use them during Holi as well (fabfurnish)
9. Dress up your balcony or the gulal station with this quirky accessory. Can be used to keep/diplay pichkaris (aka color pump :P) (fabfurnish)
10. Replace your boring grey mouse pads which came with your system with this colorful one (fabfurnish)
11. Create a colorful vignette using this colorful tray (fabfurnish)
12. Casually toss this cute notebook somewhere in the living room for a chic effect (fabfurnish)

Give your walls a splash of color

1. Give your walls a color-lift by using wall decals (wall stickers). They are easy to use and instantly change the look of a plain wall. No need to go through the hassle of painting for a wall makeover.(fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
2. Use colorful artwork to reflect the spirit of Holi. I especially loved this Bombay Bindas one which aptly captures the Holi spirit J (fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
3. Use colorful shelves to display your knick knacks (fabfurnish, fabfurnish) 

Add color using curtains or cushions or table cloths.

Here I have given an example of going colorful but with a color scheme of orange and purple. Mix and match various prints and textures for a rich contrast.

1. Cushions are perfect accessories to uplift a drab and safe couch (they go surprisingly well with any beige or brown couches or sofas). In fact they are quite versatile, just pile them up on a diwan or a low floor seating created with mattresses and a nice colorful corner for playing cards or having a cup of tea is ready. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
2. Brighten your dining room with a colorful table cloth or a table runner and nice placement mats and napkins to add another dimension. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
3. Use colorful (oh how many times have I already said colorful in this very post!) throws on your recliners or sofas for an instant makeover. Easy-peesy J (fabfurnish)
4. Use festive (see I avoided using colorful :P) curtains and mix and match two colors  or mix and match different prints like these plain ones in purple and the printed orange ones. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
5. Add color to your bedroom as well with these colorful bedspreads/bed sheets. Notice how the same purple-orange theme can be carried forward in other rooms as well. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish)

Add color on the floor as well

Use colorful (ok I give up :D) carpets (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)or durries (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish) and welcome your guests with colorful door mats.  

Holi means lot of color spilling and the carpets and rugs might get stained, so it is better to use dark colored ones or multicolor ones to hide the Holi color stains.

Use small accent furniture for a burst of color

(fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)

And last but not the least, entertain your guest with these Holi appropriate games to throw a kick-a** Holi party!

(fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)

Disclaimer - This post is as part of the Fabfurnish Holi makeover contest. I have not been sponsored by it in anyway. You can just take the ideas for inspiration :)

Decor Jabber - Fascination with trunks

Now that sounded dirty :D

Rest assured I have no fascination, association, obsession or attraction to trunks in the context of male undergarments :P

What I am talking about are storage trunks.

Use them as a bedside table or a coffee table or a console table or at the foot of your bed or seating arrangement with cushions or just in a corner with some quirky artifacts thrown in and you have a cute vintage element in your decor. And the best part is the extra storage!

Now that I finally had a chance to do up my house (stayed with in-laws till now), I was hell bent on including a trunk in my decor. I have already nicked one old school metal trunk from my mom-in-law. I also wanted a wooden one and got this amazing solid wood one from Fabindia (big time Fabindia fan :)). I am happy now as my trunk quota is over (for now :P).

Here are a few ways you can use a trunk in your home.

Trunk as a coffee table

 Trunk as a bed end

 Trunk as a bedside table

Trunk as display

Street Steal – Stash away the dirty laundry

Now this was a total case of reverse engineering. I came across this basket while we were roaming in the by lanes of Jayanagar. It was a few months before the wedding and we were in a room revamp mode. Puneeth’s room in my in-laws house was a typical boy’s room, functional and messy. I did not see it in person, but his reference photos for décor planning spoke for themselves. So we were hunting for a wardrobe and a dressing table at that time (along with sarees, lehenga, jewellery, sherwani, suit etc obviously). We made umpteen trips to Fab India during that time to gaze at the lovely furniture but came back empty handed as it just did not fit our budget (we later somehow squeezed in a Fab India mirror and a shelf though J). So when I saw this basket, my mind immediately went to the Fab India laundry baskets I had seen (I remember it clearly because Puneeth had made a joke that who would need laundry baskets, implying who washed clothes or who kept a designated place to keep dirty clothes, I did not dare to ask). Anyway I saw the basket, had the eureka moment, shouted and pointed animatedly trying to explain my idea to Puneeth (he was being totally dense then, failing to understand my squeals of excitement). I hoped off the bike and went to the vendor and asked him the price. There were a few variants in size and shape and I zeroed in on this one. We did not bargain as we felt that 250 bucks that he quoted was a fair price (I am sure we could have brought it down to 180-200 but did not want to do that). The deal was sealed and we were the proud owners of a laundry basket (we did not have a wardrobe, a mattress or a dresser nor decided on the wall color or the drapes, but yeah we had a laundry basket!). Then realization dawned upon us in two parts. Firstly, how to carry it on a bike and secondly and more importantly how to carry a laundry basket to a gold jewellery shop, because that’s where we were headed then. We somehow carried it on the bike to the nearest friend’s house and promptly forgot about it till I saw this one on zansaar.com after the wedding. I bugged Puneeth to get it back and since it looked too bleh, added the pops of color by painting orange and blue on it. The End (*sigh* I like happy endings J)

The inspiration:

The whole picture :)

Where - Near Jayanagar 4th block park, Bangalore

How much - 250 only :)

Eye Candy - Stairs Style

Where - Habanero Restaurant, Koramangala, Bangalore

Street Steal - Terracotta Urli

              I have been on the lookout for an urli since I saw them at someone's place. I fancied putting flowers or floating diyas in them near the entrance of my home especially during festivals like Deepawali. I found the perfect one when my Mom and I were killing some time at Central mall in JP Nagar. It was in bronze and just the right size. Only hitch, it was 20k! I never knew bronze was so expensive. Anyway I found a cheaper alternative recently and I like it better (obviously :P)

And here is how I displayed it in my home. I had got this beautiful diya in my wedding (thank you Swetha :)) and it goes perfectly with my terracotta urli (yay :)). And please indulge my deluge of photos :P. What to do I like all of them :D

Where to find it - Right opposite to Raagi Gudda Temple, JP Nagar, third shop on the left side.

How much? - 200 bucks for the biggest one.

DIY – Bird Cage Chandelier

Bird cages add a touch of whimsy to the décor and I was totally smitten since the time I saw a few inspiration photos online. Then started the hunt for bird cages. The problem was that I wanted a vintage looking one in brass and all the pet shops had square aluminum ones with plastic roofs! I found a few online on ebay but they were turning out to be too expensive. Then I hunted a few Indian online home décor sites and found a few options but nothing which were close to the picture I had in mind. I was obsessed to find the perfect bird cage and scoured the net diligently. I visited quite a few pet shops and roamed the local markets in the hope of finding one and one fine day I just came across this perfect one in a small curio shop in Commercial Street (more on the shop later, it really turned out to be a treasure trove). It was antique looking, in brass and not too expensive; it checked all my boxes J.

         This DIY is quite simple. Get a cute bird cage and a string of fairy lights (you will find them in hardware stores with electrical supplies especially around Diwali) and wrap the fairy lights haphazardly around the cage and tada! Your whimsical light fixture is ready J. You can hang it in a balcony or display it on a side table, it works as an excellent mood lighting also. Even without the lights on, it will be a cute addition to your décor. 

Could not resist adding this one :)

          And while we are on the topic of bird cage, Puneeth and I played an awesome prank on one of our couple friends. We met them the day we bought the bird cage and when they asked what that metal thing clanging all over the place was, we told them that my parents had gifted us a talking parrot and that this cage was for it. They gasped in horror as we went on tell that the wings of the bird will be clipped so it can’t fly etc *evil smirk*. They kept a polite facade all through this, they did not buy the story that the parrot could talk but they completely bought the story that we were actually getting a parrot :D. Then after a few days they visited our place and when I switched on the chandelier, they had the eureka moment and we had the laugh of our lives :D

Let me go now and bask in the warm glow of my bird cage chandelier *smug*

*Update*

Details of the store where I got this beautiful birdcage can be found in this post :)

Store Tour - Asiatic Arts and Crafts

Online Nirvana – Get Hooked

Do you rummage around all over your house toppling stuff and fishing out yesterday’s jeans to find your keys in a mad rush to get to office on time? Then my dear friend you need to be hooked!

        And when you marry the utilitarian wall hook with a quirky design, you get a neat décor element for your home. And why just restrict to keys, you can hang scraves, hats (if you are in 18^th century England :P), jackets (only if the hook is strong enough), aprons, mugs or a hand towel in the bathroom. Or you can use single hooks to hang lanterns or small planters in your entryway or balcony. The uses are immense J

I have shortlisted a few hooks to get hooked :P

My favorites are first, fourth and the fifth (already ordered the first and the fourth one for my new kitchen J)

1. Kettle on a wall (zansaar)
2. Birdie (zansaar)
3. Nautical (fabfurnish)
4. Kitchen spunk (zansaar)
5. Origami (thehomelabel)
6. PDH {Public Display of Hearts :P} (mynesthome)
7. Meow (jabong)
8. Do you have a spare brush? (shop.inonit)
9. Earing aid (quirkoshop)
10. Bow wow (hitplay)
11. Tile style (pepperfry)
12. Match the following (quirkoshop)

Online Nirvana – Funky Cushion Covers

Dress up your cuddly cushion friends in these covers that are colorful as well as make a statement. Scatter them around strategically in a room and it gives a nice lived in, cozy feeling. Pick the covers according to the mood and theme of the room. You can go with floral or abstract or kitschy or vintage depending on décor. You can even change the whole look of a couch just by adding a fun cushion. But make sure not to overdo it that you have to tackle a mountain of cushions to find some space to sit :P

Here are a few with funny one liners to add a dose of humor:

1. Vanakkam (The Bombay Store)
2. Theory of relativity twisted (pepperfry)
3. Sholay buffs (flipkart)
4. Define your personality! (roomstory)
5. I am so retro (pepperfry)
6. Some things are priceless {for everything else there's mastercard :D} (shop.inonit)
7. Make it loud and clear (pepperfry)
8. For your inner Kumbha Karan (tadpolestore)
9. Perfect for most girls! (fabulloso)
10. For those who burn the midnight oil (fabfurnish)
11. Move it! (roomstory)
12. Warning to potential suitors :P (fabulloso)

Online Nirvana – Cute storage for your kaapi and chai

Even a bare minimum kitchen will have tea, coffee and sugar at least (unless you are one of those bachelors who do not even have a stove!). Why not store your kitchen essentials in these cute jars then. Display them on your kitchen counter or on an open shelf or even on your dining/console table and you have convenience and style rolled into one J

1. Earthy (fabfurnish)
2. Colourful (fabfurnish)
3. Favourite (zansaar)
4. Spread the love (fabfurnish)
5. Vintage (zansaar)
6. More vintage (fabfurnish)
7. Masculine (limeroad)
8. Orange (mynesthome)
9. Apple of my eye (zansaar)

Online Nirvana – Welcome with a twist

They say “first impression is the last impression”. So give your guests a good first impression and pique their curiosity (now don’t use the same advice for first dates!) with a quirky doormat.

Here I have compiled a few of my favorites.

1. Show your pet love (mynesthome)
2. Bird print is trending(mynesthome)
3. Spell it out clearly (mynesthome)
4. Doggy love again (headsupfortails)
5. Warning! (happilyunmarried)
6. Unwanted guests? (happilyunmarried)
7. Dose of humor (happilyunmarried)
8. Give the cue beforehand :P (fabulloso)
9. For the lost souls (fabulloso)
10. Techi (fabulloso)
11. Step on the dreaded weigh scale (fabulloso)
12. Ethnic message (indiacircus)